


Stucky At Zero

by fuckingchrisevans (IOUAMarauder)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 12:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3290861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IOUAMarauder/pseuds/fuckingchrisevans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve had always thought his timer was stuck at zero. In the future, he realises just how wrong he was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stucky At Zero

**Author's Note:**

> I got inspired after seeing [this post](http://illness-and-instruments.tumblr.com/post/3139087743/timer-2009-if-a-clock-could-count-down-to-the) on Tumblr.

Steve’s counter had always been at zero. For as long as he could remember it had always read the exact same thing. He never knew what that had meant but he’d always just assumed he didn’t have a soulmate. He didn’t really care much either. He had more important things to worry about. The lack of digits and soulmate just made him a little more of an outcast than he would have been with his tiny body during the war. That didn’t mean he couldn’t be a good person or stand up for what he believed in though so as far as he was concerned, he was set for life.

Then the super-serum happened. He thought, maybe things would change. Maybe he’d be different. Maybe the serum would reset his clock or open new doors for him. Maybe he’d be able to finally find his soulmate but nothing had changed. It was still stuck at zero. Of course now he really did have more important things to worry about. He had a war to win. And he had won… Against Hydra. Maybe he hadn’t finished the war against the Nazis but he’d still defeated Hydra when he’d forced the plane down, and to him, that was important, and a life well-lived. He was happy dying like that again.

But seventy years later, he was awake. Out of the ice in a new place and new time that he didn’t get understand. Of course, his natural instinct was to ignore his wrist. Seventy years had passed. There was no way he was going to find a soulmate now in this time. Besides, very few people had these countdowns on their wrists now. Evolution decided it wasn’t necessary. Finding other people and learning about love the hard way – that was necessary. Constantly looking for the person who made your timer hit zero was a massive drawback in reality. No one ever bothered to live their lives to the fullest. They were always more concerned in finding their soulmate and Steve could understand why evolution had erased the clocks almost completely. Less than one percent of the population had these clocks now.

When he did eventually look, whilst reaching out to grab a coffee, he noticed the counter was ticking. It was slowly decreasing. Two years. He only had to wait two years. That wasn’t long compared to how long he’d been asleep, or how long he thought he’d never have a soulmate. There was one thing he never expected though.

                “Who the hell is Bucky?” he asked. It sounded more like a statement. Bucky didn’t exist now. This was not the man he once knew. Then he was gone again. Within the blink of an eye he’d disappeared like a ghost.

 It was only when he’d got home to shower after the intense fight that Steve realised what had happened. His timer had hit zero. For the second time. Everything clicked into place. He’d had a soulmate all along. He hadn’t realised because he’d known Bucky all his life. His timer had hit zero when he was so young and he didn’t realise what that meant. He’d never realised that James Buchanan Barnes was his soulmate.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, please? I just wrote it really quickly but suggestions on how to improve are always great.


End file.
